CEDR
by TheLoneWolf555
Summary: You've seen Team RWBY, Team JNPR, Team CFVY, and even Team CRDL, unfortunately. What if we add another team? A group of people who, even though they never went to any official combat school, have shown the skills required to attend Beacon Academy. Four new people, four new students, each with their own background, past, and secrets of their own. Team CEDR.


**Chapter 1**

"Shit!" Exclaimed a figure as they threw themselves behind the wall nearest them to avoid the hail of bullets being fired at them. The lights above the figure revealed them to be a man standing around 5' 10" in height with long, wild, black hair with a dark red tint to it that reaches the back of his neck, which he had to brush out of the way to reveal that both of his eyes are slit much like an animals with his left being dark purple and his right being red. His abnormally long wolf's tail, that matches his hair in color, giving away his heritage as a faunus.

The man glanced down to check his equipment. He was wearing a pair of black combat boots that come up to his ankles, black jeans that have grey knee pads sewn into them, a red t-shirt under a black armored vest with straps currently holding his remaining ammo, a black hooded long coat with grey armor built into the shoulders and lower arms, black fingerless gloves with grey metal plates on the back and first digit of the fingers.

"Come on Clay," The newly identified Clay spoke irritably, "you've been threw this hundreds of times before." He finished while he started to reload his weapons, a pair of large futuristic looking revolvers with 8 round capacity cylinder, a blade attached to the underside of the barrel, and can fire 50 caliber rounds. The one in his left hand was primarily white with red details while the one in his right hand was primarily black with red details.

"Ok Luna," He looked towards the gun in his left hand, "Nox," the one in his right hand, "I think it's about time we finish this." He finished.

Clay held up Luna and Nox before closing his eyes and taking a deep breathe. ' _Ok Clay, focus. Deep breathes, in and out, in and out, in and out, in … and … out.'_ As Clay was focusing his breathing the gun fire around him slowed as the sound of multiple footsteps began to fill the air, growing louder with every passing moment.

' _And … GO!'_ Clay's eyes sprang open as he burst from behind his cover and began to fill the air with his own storm of gunfire. The now revealed robots that had been pushing Clay back previously were now backed up against wall as they continued to fall. The majority of them missing part of or the entirety of their heads due to Clays powerful handguns. This exchange went on for several minutes until all of the bots had been destroyed.

"And done." Clay spoke as he reloaded his handguns, "Now all that left is t-GAAH!" Clay yelled out as he launched face first in a wall by a bot wielding a sword in its hands.

"Alright, that's it," Clay growled out while prying himself of the wall, "Now I'm pissed!" He stood while shifting his weapons into their alternate form as more bots wielding bladed weapons appeared to surround him. His handguns shifted into a pair a curved falchion swords. With Luna having a white blade with red honeycombed details on it, Nox having a black blade with red honeycombed details on it, and both of them sharing black handles, a grey pommel, and a red and black yin-yang symbol on their hilt.

With a animalistic roar Clay launched himself at the closet bot before tearing through it and leaving it in pieces. Clay wasted no time as he continued to tear through the remaining bots, his fighting style becoming more brutal and feral as more of the bots fell to his relentless assault on them. This continued for several minutes until one of the larger bots caught Clay by surprise and knocked Luna and Nox out of his hands.

"I'm not going down that easily!" Clay shouted as proceeded to use his fists to combat the remaining few bots. His agility and flexibility allowing him to easily dodge any incoming attacks and his strength giving him the ability to dent and crack the armor on the bots. This final exchange lasted only a few minutes until Clay was the last one standing.

"Finally," Clay's breathe was coming out in short gasps as he scanned his surroundings, "That's the last of them." When his breathe finally calmed he walked over to his fallen weapons before shifting them back into their gun forms and placing them in their sheaths on his back under his coat.

"Ok Tim, call it." Clay called out as the outer walls started to sink into the ground.

"Alright Clay that's a new personal record at 10 minutes and 39 seconds and that places you in 3rd place on the leaderboard for this month's scoreboard. Go and change so I can give you your rewards." A male voice replied through an intercom that now hung from the ceiling. "And Oum's sake my name is Timothy! Not Tim!"

"Hehe, never gets old." Clay chuckled as he started to walk towards the locker room, passing several staff in their dull grey uniforms as they started to clean up the wrecked bots. "Wait, did he say rewards? Thought I only got one of those for today's participation?" Clay spoke as he scratched his head. "Oh well, might as find out why when I talk to him."

* * *

When Clay walked out from the locker room he was in his casual clothes which consist of a pair black sneakers with red laces, black loose fitting jeans, a red belt with a black moon shaped buckle, a white t-shirt under a black pullover hoodie with red tribal like patterns on the sleeves as well as thumb holes at the end of the sleeves that he is currently using. Slung over his shoulder is a black duffel bag which is filled with his combat clothes, weapons, and his ammo.

Clay kept walking until he reached the front office. When he reached the front office he knocked on the door and waited for a reply.

"Come in." Clay opened the door to the office and walked in, coming face to face with an older man who looked to be in his 40's with short dirty blonde hair and light green eyes who was wearing the same dull grey uniform as the rest of the staff only his has some gold trimming on it. This is Timothy Corvo, owner of Corvo's Rec. Corvo's Rec is a place where you can either pay a small fee to use the training room, join in monthly tournament style fights for some cash rewards at the end of said month, or test your luck in the gauntlet against the pre-programmed robots for some quick cash.

"Ah Clay," Spoke Timothy, "good. Come and get your rewards."

"I was wondering about that actually." Spoke Clay as he walked up to Timothy's desk. " I thought I only got that 200 Lien reward for winning the gauntlet against the bots as usual?" Asked Clay as he set his duffel bag down. Timothy nodded as he reached into his desk and pulled out 200 Lien before handing it to Clay.

"And normally you would however 200 Lien is the usual prize for anybody who is below 10th place on the scoreboard. Once you hit 10th place the amount goes up with 10th getting 250, 9th 300, 8th 350, 7th 400, 6th 450, 5th 500, 4th 600, 3rd 700, 2nd 800, and 1st getting 1000 Lien." Timothy started while walking over to one of his walls that had a display with a listing of names with Clay being listed in 3rd place.

"Since you jumped from 15th place to 3rd you get the usual 200 Lien and the 700 Lien for 3rd place as well. The leaderboard is reset every month and at the end of every year your scores are averaged out and a final scoreboard is made and the rewards are doubled." Timothy finished while handing Clay the 700 Lien that he won.

"Holy shit, seriously?" Clay asked while grabbing the Lien from Timothy.

"Yes. But shouldn't you already know this? I mean it was in the pamphlet that everybody gets when they join." Timothy said while pulling out said pamphlet.

"Yeah … I didn't actually read the pamphlet," Clay said sheepishly while scratching the back of his head, "In fact I honestly think I burnt it."

"Of course you did." Timothy replied while facepalming. "Why doesn't anybody read the fine print?" Clay just gave him a shrug before asking.

"So is that every thing or am I free to leave because I got stuff to do back home."

"Actually there is one more thing. I've got somebody who's been wanting to talk to you for a while but you haven't shown up for while so I made them wait but since your here now you might as well talk to him. Give me a few moments, I'll go get him." Timothy finished while walking out. Clay decided to sit in on the couch that sat across from Timothy's desk. ' _Somebody's been wanting to talk to me?'_

"Wonder who it could be?" Clay asked out loud.

"That would be," A voice spoke up from the doorway startling Clay, "me."

Once Clay calmed down he looked over to find a middle-aged man with tousled silver hair, thin brown eyes, and pale skin. He wore shaded glass spectacles, a small, purple, cross-shaped pin on the cowl around his neck, an unzipped black suit over a buttoned vest and green shirt, black trouser shoes, long, dark-green pants. He held a cane in one hand and a mug in the other that had the Beacon Academy emblem on it.

"Professor Ozpin!?" Clay exclaimed while jumping to his feet. ' _What the hell is the Headmaster of Beacon Academy doing here and what the hell does he want from me!?'_

"Indeed," Ozpin said while sipping from his mug as he walked into the office, "Now let's get straight to business since it seems you already have plans for today." He finished while taking a seat in Timothy's chair.

"Uh what?" Clay was thrown for a loop with the way Ozpin was acting, rumors are all over the place in regards to Ozpin but they never mentioned him acting like this. "I mean yeah, sure." Clay calmed himself before taking his seat on the couch again.

"So … what is that you wanted to talk about?" Clay asked.

"I would like you to join Beacon Academy." Ozpin responded while he sipped from his mug.

"Wait," Clay was speechless, "what?"

"I would like you join Beacon Academy."

"I heard you the first time, but why. I mean there's plenty of other people who more qualified to be their, then me."

"Yes there are, but they aren't you now are they?" Ozpin asked, confusing Clay even more.

"But what's so special about me?" Clay asked.

"As Headmaster of Beacon Academy it is up to me to look for promising future students from both students with school recommendations and from those who have the skills but not the school forms to enroll with the others." Ozpin replied.

"Okay I think I understand why your here then. Your here to check out my skills to see if I have what it take to join Beacon even though I never actually went to another combat schools. Right?" Clay asked.

"Correct, and when I find any of these promising students their backgrounds and past come with them."As Ozpin said this, Clay started to tense up.

"Your past isn't exactly as hidden as you would like to think," Ozpin started while pulling out a manila envelope from his suit. "So when looking for new students, imagine my surprise when your name comes up. A person who, upon further research, has had no formal training, no official schooling, no living family to come from, and has spent almost all of their life outside the walls shows up in my roster of promising future students. Especially with a semblance like yours." Once Ozpin spoke the word 'sembalnce' Clay froze.

"No." Clay's voice was quiet but full of anger.

"No what?" Ozpin asked, ignoring the sudden tension that filled the air.

"I said no." Again Clay's voice was quiet, barely above a whisper but the raw anger behind it was almost palpable in the air.

"And why," Ozpin once again sipped from his mug while ignoring the tension he created, "won't you join Beacon Academy?" Clay grit his teeth while gripping the arm of the couch hard enough to crush the wood it was made of and tear the fabric over it.

"I don't care who you are or what you've done, but I swore to never use that damn curse ever again. Not after what its done to my family." Clay's voice began to raise with each word.

"I see," Ozpin spoke while closing his eyes, "and what if I told you I could help you control this 'curse'." Ozpin opened his eyes, a serious expression adorning his face. "Not only control but mastery of it so you can personally ensure that your family is never harmed again." Clay was silent. He was hunched forward with his hair covering his eyes and hiding his expresion.

"Don't worry, you have plenty of time to chose, the entrance exams are open to any who don't have official school recommendations starting 3 months from now." Ozpin rose as he sipped from his mug … again. "You have until then to decide. Simple speak to the woman named Glynda and she will send you to me. Oh, and Clay," Ozpin stopped in front of the door, "You're not the first person who has viewed their semblance as a curse and if you continue to deny it then it will destroy not only yourself but those around you. Please don't let it come to that." Ozpin finished before walking out and closing the door.

"Destroy myself huh." Clay spoke to himself, his voice barely above a whisper, as he stared at his shaking hands.

* * *

Ozpin continued to sip from his mug as he strolled out from Corvo's Rec. ' _Clay Rozet, huh?'_ He thought to himself as he began to walk back to the bullheads. ' _He looks so much like you Forest, yet he acts almost exactly like you, Iris. It's actually quite scary honestly.'_

Ozpin's walk was interrupted by his scroll going off. He pulled out his scroll to reveal that the caller was Glynda Goodwitch, his assistant.

"Yes Glynda, what can I do for you?" He asked.

"There was an incident at a dust shop involving Roman Torchwick and several of his henchmen as well as a young Signal Academy student who goes by the name Ruby Rose."

"I see," Ozpin spoke while quickening his pace, "Well then I shall be their shortly." With that Ozpin ended the call and carried on towards his new destination.

* * *

The walk back home for Clay was long and silent, his mind still occupied by his meeting with Ozpin. ' _Control and mastery, huh?'_ He thought to himself as he pulled out the manila folder that Ozpin had left.

"Lets see just how much they have on me." He spoke while opening the folder and skimming through its contents.

"So they knew about our settlement, who was there when it was started, they know what happened to it when we moved, but they don't know about what happened to me when I left, only when I re-joined them, and then it finishes with us going our separate ways after we settled down within Vale's walls." Clay spoke out loud as he read. When he finished he was close enough to his home that he could see it, so he placed the folder in his duffel bag and jogged the rest of the way back home.

The old 2 story house was abandoned when he and his group found it but after 2 years of fixing it and replacing the rest it was as good as any other house.

Clay pulled out his keys when he reached the door and let himself in.

"Hey Lucy!" He called out as he shut the door, "I'm home and I got some stuff to talk to you about." He finished as he proceeded to walk upstairs to his room. As he walked he passed by a few open rooms to reveal that the rest of the orphans were either getting ready for bed or already asleep.

"Welcome back Clay." A soft voice spoke up behind Clay when he reached his room. Clay turned to find a tall woman in her late 30's with tan skin, long red hair done in a bun, a pair of red bear ears revealing her to be a faunus, and dark green eyes behind a pair of black rectangle glasses. She was wearing a purple sweater, black pants, and white slippers. This was Lucy, the one who took not only Clay in when he was a baby, but 10 other orphans as well.

"Hey Lucy, do you mind if we talk in my room, I'd rather the others don't hear this?" Clay asked while gesturing towards his room.

"Sure, just let me finish up something real quick." Lucy replied before waking into another one of the rooms.

"Ok thanks." Clay spoke while he walked into his room and placed his duffel bag onto his desk.

A few minutes later Lucy walked into Clay's room to find Clay laying on top of his bed relaxing.

"So what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Lucy asked while walking over to one of his spare chairs. Clay let out a sigh while sitting up before answering.

"I had a visitor today at the rec," Clay spoke while walking towards his desk where his duffel bag sat before pulling out the manila folder, "he had some pretty interesting info on us." He finished while hanging the folder to Lucy.

Lucy spent a few minutes going over the contents of the folder before asking.

"Well who was it?"

"Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy." Clay spoke causing Lucy to gasp.

"Really!? Well what did he want?" Lucy asked.

"He …" Clay hesitated, "he wanted me to join Beacon as a student. I have until the entrance exams in 3 months to decide."

"Clay that's great!" Lucy exclaimed while standing up, "Headmaster's of famous and large academies don't just ask anybody to join them, especially in person."

"Well yeah, I know that but… " Clay stopped before pulling up his sleeves to reveal his lower arms that are covered in dull grey tribal-like tattoos. Dust tattoos. "But if I go to Beacon then you know that'll have to use my … semblance … and you know what happens when I use that." Lucy gave Clay a sympathetic look walking over to him and lightly placing her hands on his arm. Even though her touch was gentle and light Clay still flinched lightly when she came into contact with his tattoos.

"Oh Clay, you know your going to have to face this at one point of another. At least at Beacon you'll have certified professionals their to help you." Lucy spoke softly.

"But what if … what if I-"

"Shhhhhhh. It's okay Clay, its okay. Like you said earlier, you have 3 months to decide. Give it some time." Lucy lightly shushed Clay.

"Ok, you're right. I'll … I'll give it some thought." Clay said while walking towards his bed, ignoring the look that Lucy was giving him..

"Thanks for the talk Lucy. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Clay," Lucy spoke while reaching towards him only to stop when she saw that he was ignoring her.

"Good night Clay." Lucy finished with a sigh before walking out of Clay's room.

* * *

Sleep did not come easy to Clay. His thoughts keeping him up at night. He continued to toss and turn until he couldn't take it anymore. He got up and walking into the hall before walking into the bathroom and turning on the light.

Clay proceeded to stare at his reflection revealing his black hair to be messier than usual, the bags under his eyes, and since he wasn't wearing a shirt his tribal-like tattoos where on display as well. They covered his lower arms and reached up to cover the majority of his back.

' _Remember Clay.'_ He thought to himself as he began to take deep breaths, ' _Focus. Focus and control.'_

As he did this, Clay reached over and grasped the small ball of stone that he brought from his room and held it in between both of his hands before closing his eyes.

' _Alright Rockjaw. I may hate everything about you but your training has never let me down. Now remember deep breathes. In and out, nice and slow._

 _Now Focus, reach deep inside of yourself and find it. Once you do focus it into a part of body, in this case your hands.'_

" _RUN!"_

Clay's breathing started to increase.

" _Guy's what happening?"_

He started sweating.

" _Why is everything shaking?"_

He started shaking.

" _Clay run!"_

The mirror and the stone ball in his hands started to crack.

" _Clay lets go!"_

His tattoos started give off a dull red glow

" _Clay!"_

" _Clay!"_

" _Clay!"_

" _Clay!"_

"Clay!" Lucy exclaimed as she rushed into the bathroom. Clay let a gasp as he fell to his knees.

"I tried Lucy. I tried, but … but …" Clay tried to speak but his voice wouldn't come out. Lucy ran to his side before engulfing him in a hug as he tried to regain his breathe, his tattoos returning to their usual grey color.

' _Oh Clay,'_ Lucy thought as she held Clay while she gazed at their cracked reflection in the mirror, ' _what happened to you when you left us?'_

* * *

 **AN:**

 **First of all, sorry for being late, even when I gave myself an extra month to get this story planned and written, I swear I have a legitimate reason for being late other than holidays and laziness.**

 **I was, am still sick. thankfully it hasn't been anything serious but with the coughing and the sinus pressure its been hard to concentrate on writing.**

 **I have a feeling that their are parts where in my writing where my lack of concentration is easily noticeable and if you guys find them, then please send me a message and I'll go back and fix it.**

 **Once again, I can't thank you guys enough for reading/commenting/following/favoriting my stories, so once again thank you all.**


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